The Parade
by ThreeBulletsAtTheDangerParade
Summary: Annabeth Chase has just passed away. She comes to a group of people, a parade, of tragic or lost souls. But the headmarcher says she doesn't belong amoung the dead. Now she must find out how she died to get back to the land of the living. But how does one do this when her only memory is of her mother's passing? At least she has help from tragic soul Percy Jackson.


Prologue: _Welcome To The Black Parade…_

_Young four-year-old Annabeth stared at the man in front of her. Her father had tears streaming down his face, his eyes were bloodshot and the sight made Annabeth want to cry too. Her father was supposed to be strong; he was supposed to be her rock, so why was he crying? Daddies don't cry. _

"_Daddy…?" Annabeth asked softly, tears already spilling down her cheeks. _

"_Go—Go to her Annabeth." Her father's voice caught and more salt tears traveled down his pale cheeks. Annabeth wasted no time in thundering down the hall and into her parent's rooms where her beloved mother lay. _

"_Mommy!" She cried and flung herself to the bed. Her mom turned her head slowly, her mother's grey eyes shined with love and acceptance. Annabeth didn't understand the last emotion at the time, but years later the emotion, the look in her mother's eyes would burn in her memory._

"_Hello, baby girl." Her mother's voice was weak and it seemed to take all the breath out of her lungs. _

"_Mommy, what's going on?" Annabeth whimpered her wide silver-y eyes stared at her mother in earnest. Her mother reached a shaky, pale hand over to stroke her daughter's blonde curls. Annabeth leaned into her touch. _

"_My beautiful girl." She smiled tiredly. "You make me so proud. So proud…" Her mother looked into her eyes. "My dear I don't have much time left. So you must listen to me. Do you understand?"_

_Annabeth nodded aptly. Athena smiled,_

"_Good. I want you to know, that no matter what you do, I will always be proud of you. And you must remember: I'm watching over you and that I love you."_

"_I love you too mommy." Annabeth replied. Her mother smiled kindly._

"_I know baby girl. I love you too. Now, shush. I must finish. You must carry on let my memory carry on. Carry on, and even when you're broken and defeated, you must carry on. _

"_Annie, you must carry on through your fears, you must fight it to the end. And through it all, the rise and fall, be defiant until the end. Never let the world take your heart, never let them break you, play your part and sing your song. _

"_Remember the way the people in the marching band, the one in the city, carried on. Don't ever be ashamed, Annabeth, show your scars; listen here, because this is who we are. This is who you are. _

"_Even against the disappointed faces of your peers, carry on and don't give in to it. You don't need to care about their thoughts or opinions of you. Don't care." Athena took a gasping breath causing her daughter to cry out. Athena shushed her,_

"_When you grow up… Will you defeat them, your demons, and all the non-believers? And all the plans that they have made? Because, sweet, sweet Annabeth, because one day I'll leave you, a phantom to lead you in the summer. To join the Black Parade."_

"_Never be afraid to keep on living." Athena closed her eyes and took one last breath. "Carry on… Carry on…"_

The smell of death still haunts her memory of that room when her mother took her final breath. Annabeth gasped, her eyes flying open. She put a shaky hand to her head as the sweat from her brow started to seep down to her face.

She wondered why that dream had come to her suddenly. The memory of that day. She had never remembered it quite so clearly before, it felt as if it had happened just yesterday, or even moments before. She hadn't even remembered all the words, the things her mother had said before.

She swung her feet off her bed and over the side, but when she looked up she was met with a pair of hazel eyes and silver hair. She leapt back from the skeleton man in front of her. He offered her a kind smile,

"Hello Annabeth Chase, how are you feeling?" She gapped at him, her lips flapped but only screechy and gasping words left her mouth.

"Who—what are you? Why are you here? Dad? Dad! DAD!" The skeleton man gave her another sad smile.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but he will not be coming for you." He sighed like this news pained him. "And I don't know how to say this exactly. Well gently anyways." He paused.

"Have you ever heard of the saying, death comes to you in the form of your fondest memory?" Annabeth stared at him. "Oh, I suppose you haven't, after all _I am_ the one who said that…" He cleared his throat.

"Alright then. How about this: You're dead! Surprise!" And Annabeth was overcome with darkness.

**I don't think you know how much fun I had writing this. You have to check out the song Welcome To The Black Parade to get it though. The lyrics to that song are all over this. Along with a final snippet of Dead! And Famous Last Words. Kudos who figures out those. But seriously look at the song or listen to it or both because it's pretty awesome (the song) and this whole thing makes me laugh. **

**And for most of you who don't know, you might not be able to answer this, but who is the skeleton man? No it's not Jack Skeleton by the way. Hope you stick around. **

**TBATDP**


End file.
